Friday June 1st, Parbold to Wigan

Yesterday was a wash out with wall to wall rain from Wednesday night to Thursday mid-afternoon.  Once again, as we have time in hand before we have to be in Manchester we were in the fortunate position of not having to move.

So we didn’t!

At least this morning dawned dry, if a bit grey. We set off not seeing a soul moving on any of the boats tied up on the visitor moorings; indeed we didn’t see any moving boats until we got to Wigan!

Douglas Valley near Appley Bridge

The cruise from Parbold along the Douglas Valley is a delight. However, it was noticeable just how much the trees and shrubs have grown in the three weeks since we cruised past in the opposite direction. The hawthorn blossom is more or less over, buttercups and cow parsley bloom in the canal’s grassy edges and the trees have opened their leaves fully. Places where we could look through the towpath hedge and see the more distant landscape have now closed up and the views are not possible any more.

Approaching Appley Lock

Appley Lock is always a bit daunting when you are travelling without the company of another boat, especially uphill as we are. At 12’ deep and broad, it looks huge, and when the bottom gates close behind you, you feel a bit overwhelmed.

We took things very, very steady, with Elaine opening one ground paddle very, very carefully. It may take longer, but at least the boat doesn’t swing from side to side, bashing the sides of the lock.

Inside Appley Lock

Eventually we reached the upper level and were away. Dean’s Lock is next with the high level crossing by the M6 of the river, canal and railway. The latter has been following the canal at very close quarters, but at a higher level since leaving Parbold. Apart from the road bridge at Appley Bridge there is no other road bridge until the M6 and the nearby bridge at Gathurst. Indeed, apart from a few footpaths, the canal and river meander along in almost complete seclusion.

At Ell’s Meadow Lock we finally saw our first moving boats of the day. At least they weren’t moving much as we had reached a boat-jam. Derek on his Leeds & Liverpool wide boat ‘Ambush’ from which he retails diesel and other necessities was in mid-channel waiting for a squashed toad (sorry – a widebeam narrowboat) to descend the lock. Consequently it was some time before we could enter.

Then, we seemed to have awakened the local boaters as we passed another boat between Ell Meadow and Pagefield Lock, another arrived just as we were exiting Pagefield Lock, and once we had tied up in Wigan, blow me down but two pairs went past us heading in the Liverpool direction.

Roman Numerals at Wigan Bottom Lock

As we entered Wigan Bottom Lock, I noticed some Roman numerals carved into the tail of the lock stating this was lock 23. This confirms that the Wigan flight is one of 23, not the more familiarly known title of the "Wigan 21". That merely refers to the 21 locks from the junction with the Leigh Branch to the top lock. Most people conveniently forget there are two further locks below the junction and this carved numeral confirms it.

Elaine had great fun in trying to close the gates of this bottom lock. We had only used one, and as she closed it, the other gate slowly swung open. When she went round to close it, the orignal gate swung open. In the end, she had to raise a bottom paddle to get the gates to close properly. Proper comical it was too!

We were surprised to see no boats on the BW Regional Office secure moorings and when, after lunch, when we walked up to Henhurst Bridge to go shopping and looked back, ‘Patience’ looked very lonely as there was not another boat tied up in Wigan.

By the time we got back though, another boat had joined us, but again travelling in the Liverpool direction – are we the only ones heading away from Liverpool?